Douglas SBD Dauntless
.jpg) Douglas SBD Dauntless. Photo: Tomás Del Coro, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Douglas |
|---|---|
| Model | Douglas SBD Dauntless |
| Type | Dive bomber, Scout plane |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 1 May 1940 |
| Built | 1940–1944 |
| Number built | 5,936 |
| Registered in the US | 6 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 2 |
| Engine | Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone, 1200 hp |
| Cruise speed | 185 mph (SBD-5) |
| Range | 1,115 mi (SBD-5) |
| Service ceiling | 25,530 ft (SBD-5) |
| Max weight | 10,700 lb (SBD-5) |
| Developed from | Northrop BT |
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Douglas SBD Dauntless is an American World War II carrier scout plane and dive bomber, the U.S. Navy's main carrier dive bomber from mid-1940 to mid-1944.[1] It is best remembered for delivering the fatal blows to the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Douglas built 5,936.[1] In the U.S. there are 6 with a valid registration, including the Army's A-24 version.[2]
History
The SBD grew from the Northrop BT-1, begun in 1935. When Douglas took over Northrop in 1937, a team led by Ed Heinemann developed it into the SBD.[1] Crews nicknamed it "Slow But Deadly", from its initials.[1] It had long range, good handling and excellent dive performance thanks to its perforated dive brakes.[1]
The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was meant to replace it in 1944, but the older airplane performed better, and both fought side by side until the end of the war.[1] The Army's land-based version, the A-24 Banshee, was less successful and was moved to non-combat roles by mid-1943.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 6 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| SBD-4 | 2 |
| SBD-5 | 2 |
| A-24 | 1 |
| A-24B | 1 |
Specifications (SBD-5)
| Item | SBD-5 |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
| Length | 33 ft 1.25 in |
| Wingspan | 41 ft 6.375 in |
| Height | 13 ft 7 in |
| Wing area | 325 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 6,404 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 10,700 lb |
| Fuel | 260 USgal in non-metallic self-sealing fuel tanks |
| Engine | Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone, 1200 hp (9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine) |
| Propeller | Hamilton-Standard constant-speed propeller |
| Maximum speed | 255 mph |
| Cruise speed | 185 mph |
| Range | 1,115 mi |
| Service ceiling | 25,530 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,700 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Douglas SBD Dauntless. Photo: see the file page on Commons, Public domain -
Douglas SBD Dauntless. Photo: U.S. Navy photo, Public domain -
A Douglas SBD Dauntless of U.S. Photo: USN, Public domain -
One of nine Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless dive bombers supplied to the United Kingdom in late 1943. Photo: RAF, Public domain -
A USAAF Douglas A-24B-5-DT (S/N 42-54459) Banshee of the 531st Fighter Squadron taxis on 13 December 1943. Photo: USAAF, Public domain -
Douglas SBD Dauntless. Photo: Lt. Charles Kerlee, USNR, Public domain -
SBD-5s pictured on the assembly line at Douglas Aircraft Company's El Segundo Plant, California (USA), 1943. Photo: U.S. Navy, Public domain -
Douglas SBD Dauntless. Photo: U.S. Navy, Public domain
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Douglas SBD Dauntless
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Wikipedia, "Douglas SBD Dauntless", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.